


Demon in the Shadows

by mash171



Category: Naruto
Genre: Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-25
Updated: 2016-11-17
Packaged: 2018-01-20 17:07:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1518509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mash171/pseuds/mash171
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This story was originally posted on Wattpad at this link: http://www.wattpad.com/user/mash171 (also by me)</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. The Birth of the Shadow Demon

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally posted on Wattpad at this link: http://www.wattpad.com/user/mash171 (also by me)

As a young girl, I was always taught to be seen but no heard. To live in the shadows of my brothers, both older and younger. I was not what my parents had wanted. Sons were the ideal in our clan, someone who could carry on the family name. Someone who would possible activate the family Keke Genkai, control of light. That is was why, when I activated it’s twin Keke Genkai, control of darkness, out of all my siblings, I was seen as a demon.

I was no longer wanted in my family, even just a little like I had been before. Instead, I was given the role as my family’s servant. At 7 years old, I felt no love from anyone in my family. My brothers were given permission to attack me at any time they wanted and I was forbidden from retaliating. When people came to visit my family, I was forced to hide, not allowed to let myself be seen. I was not allowed to learn the techniques of my Keke Genkai, forcing me to learn them on my own and in the dead of night. I watched my brothers train, imprinting their techniques in my mind. I learned, even when I wasn’t supposed to. And now at 13, I was a time bomb of rage, waiting to explode.

“Gaki, get out here and clean up the table.” my father orders me, smirking when my youngest brother, Kuro, trips me as I’m making my way to the table. I catch myself and continue on, gathering the plates from the table. Balancing them in one hand, I gather the silverware and set it in a cup. I take everything to the kitchen and return for the cups and bowls, carful not to stack the bowls that still had soup in them.

My final trip was the big bowl and plate that the food had been served on. I couldn’t see around the bowl and missed the foot that Hiro had stuck out. I trip and the bowl and plate smash to the ground. I don’t cry out when porcelain and glass shards stick in my skin. “Orokana gaki! Look what you did!” my father roars, sending my siblings scattering from the table. I hurry from the room and grab the broom and dust pan, avoiding the shards of porcelain that litter the floor, biting my lip as the ones already in my skin are pushed in deeper. My father watches me sweep everything up and throw it away, a look of disgust on his normally passive face. He only gives that look to me. “I don’t even know why I let you live sometimes. You’re just kachi no nai gomibako.” I lower my head, avoiding his gaze. “Go clean the dishes. I want to see you tonight.” Fear creeps into my body and I look up. My coal colored eyes meet his cold blue ones.

“Yes Goshuujinsama.” I say bowing, my black hair covering my face. He leaves the room and I return to the kitchen. I wash my arms and hands gingerly, trying to massage out the particles that had already been crushed even more.

Once I finish, I fill the sink with with warm water and soap and begin to wash the dishes, stacking them neatly to be rinsed and dried. While I’m doing the dishes, I notice my plain black kimono, made of cotton instead of silk, is in desperate need of washing. Dust and dirt cover it but I know father won’t let me wash anything until Saturday after everyone else’s laundry has been done.

I dry off the dishes and wash the sink, leaving no trace of food behind like I had been taught. I use a rag to wipe off the counters and make sure the food is put away before making my way to the dining room to clean. I sweep the floor, gathering the remnants of food my brothers had dropped, and wipe down the table. Once the room is clean, I return the supplies to the kitchen and return to my room until my father calls me.

“I’m disappointed in your clumsiness Gaki.” my father says when I enter the room.

“Ashikarazu goshuujinsama.” I say, bowing my head again. My head is yanked back roughly, his hand pulling my hair in order to force me to look at him.

“You will look me in the eye gaki.” he snarls, throwing me to the ground. I don’t make a sound, knowing it would only make things worse. “I should let your brothers beat you up to teach you a lesson.”

“Hai goshuujinsama.” I whisper, as I’m yanked up again. I know there will be a bruise on my arm tomorrow. “I will go get them myself if you would like.”

“That sounds good, tell them to come to my office.” he orders me, releasing my arm and turning away from me. I leave the room silently and walk quickly to the main hall. I knock on each brothers door, telling them of our fathers request. The oldest, Kai, grabs my arm as my father had and drags me to the office to ensure I don’t escape. He’s just like father... I think to myself as he throws me to the ground in the center of the room. My father is sitting in his chair, my mother next to him. Her eyes don’t meet mine when my father nods to my brothers. Tomoko and Tamaki grab my arms and hold me up, letting Kai take the first hit. His fist connects with my jaw and I let my head roll with the punch. Hiro is next, the one who had tripped me, and he brings his knee swiftly to my stomach. I cough, blood escaping my lips, and they laugh.

“What a weakling.” Tomoko sneers at me, slamming his fist into my side. Tamaki does the same and I fall limp in their grip. I could feel the darkness bubbling up inside me. Kuro punches me on the opposite cheek, catching just right to fill my mouth with blood. The room beings to darken and I know it’s not from loosing conscious. Akito takes a step forward but stops when my eyes turn completely black.

“Father! She’s activated her Keke Genkai!” he shouts, stepping back.  
“Get out of here boys! I’ll deal with the demon.” he commands but I move in front of the door.

“Not so fast.” I whisper, raising one hand. Shadows snake down from the ceiling and wrap themselves around my brothers and fathers feet. Kuro cries out in shock and struggles agains them. They only move up his body faster until he’s completely surrounded in the shadows. I squeeze my hand and blood and flesh fly all over the room. I don’t flinch when it covers me and my family, only watching the scene before me. My mother screams at this and faints, allowing the shadows to do the same to her. “I wouldn’t struggle if you don’t want to end up like Kuro or Mother.” I tell them, earning glares from my so called family.

“You’re just a demon. A filthy animal.” Kai yells at me and the shadows surround him. Tomoko and Tamaki are crying now, and I can practically taste the fear in the room.

“Please little sister, calm down.” Akito asks softly and I glare.

“You want me to calm down? You have no idea the power I have over you right now. And the rage that’s burning in me.” I step forward, and stroke his trembling cheek. “Don’t tell me to calm down.” I bring the shadows upon Tomoko and Tamaki, killing them both in seconds.

“Stop this right now gaki!” my father shouts and I smirk. I laugh quietly at first, but it become sadistic.

“Stop?” I ask, bringing the shadows up to both his and Akito’s necks, “There’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

They both explode and blood rains over me. I spit in disgust at my families dead bodies before leaving the room. I strip off my kimono, leaving it on the ground as I walk through my family’s home, naked and finally alone.

I use my mother’s shower, cleaning myself well for the first time since I became a servant. I wash the blood from my hair and watch it run down the drain. I stand the warm water for a long time, relishing that I was finally free. Once I’m clean, I walk around once more, allowing myself to air dry. I put on lotion and dress in one of my mother’s fighting kimono’s. A silky maroon color with a gray obi. I slip into it, tying it shut and adding the over the knee gray stockings and past the elbow gloves that went with it. I find a pair of shoes that would fit and make my way to Kai’s room for weapons.

I pull my favorite katana, the one with the black blade and white hilt, off the wall and slide it into it’s scabbard, which I attach to my back. I pull it’s twin down, a white blade with a black hilt, and do the same. I fill a black kunai pouch with weapons and attached it to my leg. I do the same with another and put in paper bombs and such. As I leave, I place a single paper bomb on the door to my house, taking only a silver moon necklace I had been given by a friend as a child with me. Once I was far enough away, I ignite the paper bomb and watch the place I had called home, explode and burn to pieces. I turn my back to the burning mess and disappear into the woods, leaving what I had known behind.


	2. Welcome to Konoha

I had been on the move for a week now. Feeding off of my own chakra rather than risk entering a village and I was now running low on energy. I was hopelessly lost in the woods as well, never having left my house like my brothers had. I lean against a tree, my labored breath filling the silent air. I’m so tired... I think to myself, listening to woods around me. There’s a crack of a branch and I take off, leaping into the trees to escape whoever was nearby. I can feel exhaustion taking over as I continue to run, hearing more footsteps behind me. I dodge the weapons thrown, one grazing my bare thigh and making me hiss in pain. I stop and lean against the tree, tears filling my eyes. Was this how I was going to end? I close my eyes, the tears falling as I also fell into darkness.  
I wake up in a bright white room, sun shinning down on me. The first thing I do is attempt to climb out of the bed but my wrists and ankles have been tied down. I stare at the restraints for a few seconds before closing my eyes. I bring the shadows to me, letting them grab onto the leather restraints and pull. There’s a satisfying snap as they break and I climb out of bed and change into my clothes, which had been cleaned by somebody while I was sleeping. I stare at my hands and arms, the cuts from the dishes fully healed without a trace. Slightly suspicious, I put my weapons on again and slip out of the door. I make my way down the hall quietly, not receiving a second glance from the nurses that pass me. I head down the stairs and turn the corner to see a few ninja and a man in a red and white robe. 

“She passed out while we were chasing her Hokage-sama.” the tallest one explains, putting out his cigarette. “She seems to be about 12 or 13, possibly a chunnin at most.” 

“She ran pretty fast Hokage-sama, I wasn’t able to catch her in my shadow possession jutsu.” the boy with a spiky ponytail adds, hands in his pockets. 

“She was really pretty though, right Shikamaru?” the chubby one says, taking a bite of his chips and nudging his friend. I narrow my eyes and sprint down the hallway. I duck under their arms as they attempt to stop me and run out the entrance. I squint at the bright light and continue to run, avoiding the villagers that are walking through the streets. I head into the forest and use my Keke Genkai to blend with the shadows. I walk through the woods for a long time, thinking about the group that had brought me here. Why had they saved me? What worth was I to them? When I don’t hear anyone chasing anymore, I pull the shadows off of me. I enter a clearing and stare up at the bright sky. The sun had never shone this brightly back at home. A few puffy white clouds were floating lazily along and I laid down in the grass, watching them pass. I’d never had the free time to do this. Setting my swords to the side, I lay in the warm grass with the sun shinning down on me for a long time, until a shadow falls over me.

“Aw, you’re in my usual spot.” the boy with the spiky ponytail complains, tilting his head back to look at the sky, “Such a drag.” 

“And you’re the boy who was at the hospital earlier.” I state, as he lays in the grass next to me.

“Yeah, my name’s Shikamaru. My team found you in the woods. We didn’t want to hurt you but when you ran, we had to attack.” he says, pointing to the bandage on my thigh.

“Oh, okay. And don’t worry about it, it didn’t hurt too much. I thought you were someone else.” I explain, returning my attention to the sky. We lay in silence, watching the clouds pass over us. I’m beginning to think he’s fallen asleep but the grass rustles as he turns his head to face me. I do the same and meet his sleepy brown eyes. I can see a bit of curiosity and warmth in them and wonder what he sees in mine. Would he see an innocent girl or a cold hearted killer?

“What’s your name anyways?”  
“I think it’s Chihiro.” 

“You think? You don’t know your own name?” he questions, rolling all the way onto his side and propping his head up on his hand.

“I haven’t heard my name in almost seven years.” 

His eyes don’t betray anything as he rolls back over and doesn’t ask further, sensing something behind what I was saying.  
“Don’t you have a team to go to?” I poke his side, making him squirm.

“We were on our way back from a mission so we have today off. We were planning on seeing you in the hospital but look how that turned out.” he teases, a lazy smile on his face. I stick out my tongue, poking him again. I receive a poke in return and squeal a little when he hits my ticklish spot. He pokes again and I giggle, returning it. My lips curve up into a small smile, something that I haven’t truly done since I was a child. He returns it, and yawns, leaning his head back in the grass. “You’re not as troublesome as you would seem.” 

“I’ll take that as a compliment Shikamaru-san.” I murmur sleepily, closing my eyes and falling asleep next to the boy I had just met and now trusted. 

Shikamaru’s P.O.V.

“What’s your name anyways?” 

“I think it’s Chihiro.” 

“You think? You don’t know your own name?” I question, rolling onto my side and propping my head up.

“I haven’t heard my name in almost seven years.” 

I just roll back onto my back and don’t ask anymore questions. That was already a loaded statement right there.  
“Don’t you have a team to go to?” she poke my side, making me squirm.

“We were on our way back from a mission so we have today off. We were planning on seeing you in the hospital but look how that turned out.” I tease, a lazy smile on my face. She sticks out her tongue, poking me again. I poke her this time and she squeals when I hit her ticklish spot. I poke again and she giggles, doing the same. She gives me a small, cautious smile after this. I return it, and yawn again. “You’re not as troublesome as you would seem.” 

“I’ll take that as a compliment Shikamaru-san.” she murmur sleepily, closing her eyes and relaxing in the warm grass next to me. I watch Chihiro fall asleep, her pale pink lips parted slightly. Her chest rises and falls gently, her hand resting on her stomach. She didn’t seem like the girl that we’d first seen in the woods or even in the hospital. She seemed innocent and scared of something. Her short black hair is fanned out in the grass and she rolls over slightly, moving her hand up to the grass in front of her chest. I smile at this and roll onto my side, also falling asleep like the tiny girl next to me.


	3. Meeting the Family

Hiruzen Sarutobi’s P.O.V.

Asuma, Kakashi and I enter the clearing quietly, watching the two children talk quietly. It seemed that they were at the end of their conversation as both of them fell asleep soon after we appeared. 

“Should we take her back to the hospital?” Kakashi asks quietly, looking up from his book.

“I don’t think she’ll run again. She seems to trust Shikamaru. We’ll just watch her for the next few days. Asuma, I would like you to give your team a few more days off so the girl and Shikamaru can spend more time together. I’ll ask Shikaku to let her stay at his house as well. I want to see what happens.” I say, blowing smoke out of my mouth. Asuma nods, taking a drag off of his cigarette and crosses his arms.

“Can we trust her?” he questions, watching the girl roll onto her side.

“I believe so.” I say, before exiting the clearing. Both men follow me, Kakashi giving the two gennin one last glance before the trees swallow us up. 

Chihiro’s P.O.V.

I flinch when a rain drop his my forehead, waking me up abruptly. I sit up sleepily and turn to see Shikamaru still asleep and shake him awake. I put my swords back on as he wakes up, shaking him once more.

“Shikamaru-san. It’s raining. You should get home.” I say, rubbing my eyes as he sits up.

“I’m not leaving you in the rain, I know you don’t have place to stay. Come home with me for tonight at least.” he offers, pulling me up from the grass. “Let’s hurry though, it looks like it’s going to be bad.” We start running through the trees, somewhat protected until we reach the village again. There’s a clap of thunder and I yelp, running faster so I’m next to him, gripping his hand tightly. We make a few turns and soon we’re at a door step of a house with a large forest behind it. He opens the door and pulls me in, just as there’s another clap of thunder and a flash of lightening. I stand in the entryway, shivering violently. I shake my hair out, trying to blow a soaking strand out of my face. 

“You should probably shower so you don’t get sick. I’ll see if I can find you something to wear.” he says, walking down the hallway and turning to climb a set of stairs. I follow him cautiously and silently, the only sound between us is water hitting the floor. He pulls open a door and reaches in, pulling out a soft looking towel. He hands it to me before shutting the door and continuing down the hall. “Here’s a towel, bathroom is the last door on the right at the end of the hall. I’ll leave clothes outside the door for you.” 

“Shikamaru-san?” I stop him as he turns to leave me, his hand resting on a doorknob. He looks back at me, dripping wet still, and I bow. “Thank you.”

“You don’t have to bow to me Chihiro-chan. We’re friends.” is all he says before he twists the doorknob and enters his room, shutting it behind him. I tilt my head at this statement and make my down the hall as he said. I turn on the water, letting it warm up while I take off my wet clothes. Everything was clinging to my skin, making it a hassle to undress. I hang them up to dry and step into the warm water, hissing at the slightly painful burning feeling from the temperature difference. While I warm up, I take notice of the different products. Shikamaru must not share have shared it with anyone else, considering there were only male products. Unless... No don’t think about that Chihiro. Picking up the bottle of shampoo, I bring it to my nose and sniff. It smelled similar to pine, and was almost comforting. Washing my hair with his shampoo and conditioner and then scrubbing my body with his soap, I find myself covered in his scent. When I finish, I wrap the towel he had given me around my body and open the door to see a small pile of clothes waiting for me. I pick them up and shut the door again before getting dressed. My bra and panties didn’t get too wet from the rain despite how heavy it had been so I pull them on once more before stepping into the black boxers he had given me and pulling on the worn green shirt. It wasn’t too baggy on my small frame, so it must have been an older shirt. I brush out my hair and leave the bathroom, padding down the hallway toward Shikamaru’s bedroom. I’m about to enter the room when I hear footsteps on the stairs and incoherent mumbling. Tensing, I wait for said person to appear, ready to run if I needed to. I relax though, when Shikamaru appears a few minutes later with a towel in his hands, muttering about a “troublesome woman”. “You warmer?” he asks me, tossing the towel in a basket that’s sitting in the hall, already halfway filled with towels and clothes.

“Yes, thank you for the clothes.” I reply, dropping my hand from the door and playing with the hem of the shirt. 

“My mom’s making dinner right now, I’m gonna shower then we can get something to eat.” he tells me, reaching in front of me to open the door to his room. I follow him in and stand quietly, hugging my arms to my body as he looks for something to wear. “You can sit wherever. I’ll be back in a few.” I take a seat on his unmade bed and bite my lip, trying to calm my nerves. Looking around the slightly messy room, my fingers itch for something to do to take my mind of my situation. Falling back into my old habits from the Ranpu Estate, I begin to clean his room. I made his bed first, throwing the blankets back and stacking the pillows on the floor. I tug each blanket up, pulling it tight and smoothing them out, only returning the pillows once I was done. I move on to picking up the clothes that litter the floor, tossing them in the hamper that is next to his desk. I shut the drawers and straighten up the papers that cover his desk, trying to control my urges to do more. I pass a Shogi board and stop, staring at the plays that had been made. The door opens behind me and I turn to see Shikamaru, drying his hair, wearing sweatpants and a white wifebeater. I look away, turning my attention back to the Shogi board, and he yawns loudly from behind me. “You cleaned my room?” he asks, looking around at the now tidy area.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.” I reply, blushing slightly, “Who won this match?”

“My father did. I never win against him.” he chuckles drily, coming over to the board while pulling on a shirt. “Do you play?”

“Never had the chance, but I’ve watched before.”

“We’ll have to play tonight, my father can teach you if you’d like.”

“I know how to play silly, don’t worry. I’d like that though.” He smiles and we both turn our heads when we hear his mom’s muffled yell that dinner was ready. “Let’s go, I haven’t eaten in over a week.” He leads me downstairs, allowing me to choose my seat first. Apparently I had picked his usual seat though, because he pulls a face before smiling at me.

“Troublesome woman.” he mutters, taking the seat across from me instead. A tall man with two scars on his face takes a seat on my right side and I shrink away from him, glancing at Shikamaru for help. The man chuckles and I can only assume he’s Shikamaru’s father.

“Nara Shikaku, Shikamaru’s father. You must be one of Shikamaru’s friends.”

“Dad, you’re scaring her.” Shikamaru sighs, “This is Chihiro, the girl from my mission.”   
“Nice to to meet you Chihiro. I’m Yoshino, Shikamaru’s mother.” a brunette woman takes a seat across from me with a smile. 

“Nice to meet you.” I say, tugging at my hem again. The two adults glance at each other, before relaxing once more. I’m giving a plate with chicken and rice on it. I wait till everyone else has their food before splitting my chopsticks. “Itadakimasu!” I say happily, before digging into my food. I eat almost two plates full of food until I decide I’m satisfied. Shikamaru eats just as heartily, to the amusement of his parents. 

“Ready to play Shogi?” Shikamaru asks, grabbing my plate and taking it to the sink with his own. His mother nods her approval at this, earning an eye roll from the young shadow nin. 

“Ready to kick your ass at it.” I reply smugly, making his father roar with laughter. 

“I want to see this.” Shikaku butts in, following us to Shikamaru’s room. I take a seat across from Shikamaru and we set up our pieces. He gives me a lazy look of determination and I just smile playfully.


	4. Now a Member of Konoha

“And now you’ve been beaten.” I say, making my final move. Shikamaru narrows his eyes, studying the board. 

“How did I not see that?” he mutters, deep in thought. Shikaku is just shaking his head, a smile on his face.

“I wonder how smart she is, if she beat you. I have to admit, I didn’t even see it coming until a few moves before hand.” Shikaku comments, earning an expression of shock from Shikamaru. “What clan are you from?”

“I’d prefer not to say. They’re mostly dead and they aren’t good people.” I reply softly, turning my attention to the window and placing my chin in the palm of my hand. The moon is waxing, almost full, with silvery moonlight drifting into the dim room that was only lit by a lamp near the board.

“I’m sorry Chihiro-chan.” Shikamaru says and I shake my head.

“Don’t be Shikamaru-san. They weren’t good people.” I give him a smile in an attempt to get rid of the serious mood, it wouldn’t do any good to talk about it now. “I’m getting tired, where can I sleep?” 

“We don’t have an extra room at the moment. It’s a storage room right now. Yoshino’s going to clean it out for you.” Shikaku tells me, “You can sleep in Shikamaru’s room tonight but nothing better happen.” Shikamaru and I both blush, avoiding each others eyes. Shikaku chuckles, grinning like a maniac at his comment. “Goodnight you two.” He leaves the room, shutting the door behind him and Shikamaru just sighs. We wait for his footsteps to fade before Shikamaru glances at me. 

“What a drag. You can have the bed.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m used to sleeping on the floor.” I say quickly, bowing my head in shame. 

“You’re used to sleeping on the floor? No, you’re getting the bed Chihiro. We’ll share it.” he scoffs, pulling me over. He pulls back the blankets, fixing the pillows before allowing me to climb into the bed first. He follows, watching me fidget as I tried to get comfortable. 

I was not used to the comfort of a bed anymore, only being given a thin cot to sleep on. Once we have the blankets around us and we’re both comfortable, I roll over to face Shikamaru. His brown eye, warm and caring, meet mine sleepily. 

“Goodnight Shikamaru-san.”

“Goodnight Chihiro-chan.” he replies, closing his eyes and relaxing in the warm blankets. I do the same, falling into a dreamless sleep. 

I wake up the next morning and find Shikamaru with his hair down, still asleep. I lay for a few minutes, thinking about the yesterday’s events. Why had I been so quick to trust him? I had sensed the three men in the clearing yesterday, but why had they done nothing? Shikaku and Yoshino shouldn’t have been okay with me staying unless... They had been ordered to let me stay. 

I climb out of the bed and pad to the bathroom. I pull on my now stiff and dry clothes, leaving Shikamaru’s in the basket that still sat in the hallway. I brush my hair and teeth, using the spare that had been left for me, before walking downstairs with carefully placed steps. I can hear Shikaku and Yoshino talking quietly in the kitchen and slip down the hall to the front door. I exit the house quietly, my katana’s and weapon pouch in hand. 

Once I’m a decent distance from the Nara’s house, I attach them to their rightful places before walking through the village to the biggest building. I assumed it was where the village leaders office would be, but it also appeared to be a school, confusing me. I didn’t know what he was called, my family didn’t live in a village, serving under the Tsuchikage when asked for. 

Our clan lived on their own, isolated from everyone else. I enter the building and follow the signs that say “Hokage’s Office”. I was assuming this “Hokage” was the leader. That’s what Shikamaru and Asuma had called the man in the robes at the hospital. I knock on the plain wooden door, holding my breathe. 

“Enter.” a raspy voice calls, and I push open the door, entering timidly. “Ah, you’re our mystery girl. I’ve been wanting to meet you since Asuma and his team brought you here.”

“Shikamaru-san’s team?” I ask, observing him carefully. While he was an older man, he had to be a great ninja to be made the Hokage. He wasn’t to be underestimated, that’s for sure. He nods and I frown, wanting answers. “Did you tell his father to let me stay at their house? Because I trust Shikamaru?”

“Yes, I did tell him to do that. You needed a place to stay and why not have it be with someone you trust.” 

“Was it you that was in the clearing yesterday? I could sense someone, three people to be exact, but I’m not sure who it was.” I comment, walking to the window and peering out. The village was breathtaking. Better than the compound type area that my family and clan had lived in. He waits to respond until I turn my attention back to him. “Why are you so willing to let me live here? You don’t know who I am.” 

“You are observant. It was I and two of my Jonnin that were in the clearing, observing you and Shikamaru. You bring up a good point, what reason do I have to trust you? You could be a killer for all I know.” he replies, smoking his pipe. I try not to tense at his words, my family coming to my mind. “But you trusted Shikamaru easily so I don’t think you are. Would you like to be a part of this village?”

“Could I become a ninja? Girls aren’t allowed to in my family.” I ask, biting my lip. 

“Of course, the Gennin exams happened a few weeks ago but I’m sure we could find you a teacher if you pass the test. I can’t place you on a three man team but I can give you a teacher instead, and possibly rank you higher if you take another test tomorrow..”

“What’s the test to become a gennin?” Multiple scenarios fill my mind. Would I have to kill someone? Pass a weapons test? Perform a complicated jutsu?

“You just have to create 3 clones of yourself.” the Hokage informs me and I nod. I for the tiger hand seal and clones of myself appear. “Alright, I will find a Jonnin who is able to train you, so we need to find out your abilities to see who would work best with you. But for now, I need to fill out an I.D. for you, can you help me with that?”

“Of course, thank you Hokage-sama.” I bow, earning a smile from him.

“So polite. Alright, full name?”

“Can this part stay between us only? I don’t like to be associated with my clan.” I question, lowering my eyes. 

“Of course.” 

“Ranpu Chihiro. 13 years old, born September 21st.” I state softly, my hair falling into my face. 

“I understand why you do not want to be associated with your clan. Don’t worry, it will stay between us.” he says, filling out my card for me, “You’re I.D. will be on the card and when you travel on missions, you should keep it with you at all times. Here is your headband, make sure you wear it when in the village. I’ll see you tomorrow morning for testing alright? One of my assistants will pick you up.”

“Thank you for everything Hokage-sama. I should get back to the Nara’s, I’m afraid they might be worried.” I bow before leaving the room, tying my headband around my waist. I make my way down to the main floor and out into the sun again. I blink a few times before I smile, starting my journey to the Nara’s house. 

I attempt to retrace my footsteps, wandering through several streets that look the same. All lined with vendors sporting bright signs, civilians bustling about, and not a familiar thing in sight. I make a few more turns, trying to remember my way back but end up walking smack into a blond boy that stood at the same height as I did.

“Are you new here? You’ve got a leaf headband.” he questions, “Oh and sorry about that, I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“Yes I’m new, I just got my headband today. You’re fine though, it didn’t hurt. Could you help me?” I ask shyly, blushing and glancing at my feet.

“Yeah sure, whatcha need?” he replies, a big smile on his face. I look up into his bright blue eyes, so similar to the blue of my families but so different in the happiness they held.

“I’m staying with the Shikamaru but I can’t find my way back to his house. Do you know where it is?” I explain, hoping this sunshine boy could help me. 

“Of course, Shikamaru’s a pretty good friend of mine! I’ll show you the way so pay attention!” he teases, taking my hand to lead me back. He guides me through the village, explaining a few things as we pass them but our walk is mostly comfortable silence. When we arrive, the boy turns to me with another bright smile. “I should go but welcome to Konoha! Hopefully we can hang out sometime! I’m Naruto by the way!” The boy runs off with a wave, leaving me outside Shikamaru’s house, wondering what had just happened.


	5. Moving in with the Nara's

I enter the house quietly, slipping off my shoes and weapons to leave by the door before I make my way to the kitchen. Shikamaru and his parents are eating and talking, falling silent when I enter the room. Shikaku’s eye flicker to the headband around my waist and he grins.

“I see you found the Hokage then.” he states, his strong voice filling the silence.

“Hai, he said that someone is picking me up tomorrow to test me. I won’t be on a team, just working with a Jonnin by myself.” I reply, taking a seat. Yoshino places a plate in front of me and I pick at the food, eating my toast first. 

“So you won’t be on my team? This is gonna be a drag then.” Shikamaru comments, a look of annoyance crossing his usually calm features. 

“Sorry Shikamaru-san.” I apologize, looking at my hands, “But we’ll still be able to see each other after!” 

“It’s alright Chihiro-chan.” he replies, stretching his arms over his head. The meal passes quietly but I can feel Yoshino studying me. I glance up at her and she smiles, turning to her husband. 

“Shikamaru, can you take Chihiro shopping?”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that Nara-sama. It’s fine.” I mumble, embarrassed by her offer but also a tiny bit elated. No one had offered anything to me in a long time. 

“You can’t keep wearing that same outfit, especially once you start training. Don’t worry about it, I’ve always wanted a daughter. Now finish eating so you two can leave.”

I nod, returning my attention to the plate of half-eaten food in front of me. When I finish, she takes my plate and ushers Shikamaru and I to the door with a pat on the shoulder and a wad of cash. Shikamaru turns to me and holds it up with a lazy smile, “Let’s go shopping Chi-chan.” 

“Chi-chan?” I ask him quietly as we exit the house. I hadn’t heard that nickname since I was a little girl. Before I discovered my Keke Genkai.

“Yeah, Chihiro is so long. I’d rather give you a nickname.”

“Alright Shika-san.” I reply, making him smile, not so lazily this time. We walk slowly, enjoying the warm sun as we make our way to the center of the village where there are many shops. 

“Let’s go here.” Shikamaru holds open the door to a fairly inexpensive looking clothing store and waits till I’ve entered before following. My eyes scan over the racks and I dart off into the clothing, leaving him behind. 

Shikamaru’s P.O.V.

I watch Chihiro shop around for awhile, sitting on a chair that I had found about 20 minutes ago. She seems to know what she likes, not asking for my opinion on anything. I’m almost asleep when she appears in front of me. She has a few fighting kimonos, similar to the red one she was wearing at the moment, blue ninja shoes, blue ninja gloves with protectors, and a few pairs of under garments. She clearly didn’t want to take advantage of my mother.

“Get some other things too. Can’t have you sleeping in my clothes all the time and you won’t always be on missions.” I tease her, taking the clothes and setting them on the chair. She looks unsure, the same doubt filling her eyes as it had most of the time she had been here. I liked it better when she was happy, her eyes were shinning this morning when she got back from the Hokage’s office. “Go Chihiro.  
”   
“Thank you Shika-san.” she says quietly before returning to the clothes. I wait until she returns and give her a smile. She’s holding casual clothes, mostly jeans and shorts and t-shirts but I didn’t really care. She would look pretty in anything she wore. “Better?” she asks, a smile also on her face. Like I said, she looks better when she’s happy. 

“Better silly.” I laugh, helping her carry her things to the register. Once I’ve paid and she has her bags, we begin our walk home. “So I was wondering, do you want to meet some of the other Gennin? They’re all our age.”

“Is Naruto-san a Gennin?” she questions, biting her lip. She must be thinking about something.

“When did you meet Naruto?” I question but fall silent, closing my eyes. She was out this morning, so it had to be then. “This morning right?”

“Yes, he helped me find my way back to your house. I kinda got lost.” she blushes, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment.

I chuckle at this and open the front door since she had no free hands. She enters, waiting for me to follow her inside.

“Mom? We’re back!” I shout up, putting my hands behind my head. I was already ready for a nap.

“I’m upstairs! You better be helping her carry her bags!” she responds, making me grab a few bags from Chihiro quickly. I didn’t want to face the wrath of Mom, considering how scary she could be. Chihiro giggles and leads the way upstairs, following my mother’s voice. 

We find her in the spare room, making a bed. She’s cleaned out the extra stuff and set up furniture for Chihiro. The room looks nice, painted a light blue with light, wooden furniture. The bedspread is a light gray and there’s a desk. My mom had also gotten Chihiro things for the bathroom. There are several bottles sitting on top of the dresser. The window is open, letting in fresh air and sunlight. It was nice, for a girl. I look to see Chihiro’s reaction but she has her head bowed.

“Hey, you okay?” I ask her, setting her things in her room. She shakes her head before setting the rest of her things down and running from the doorway. I see tears on her cheeks as she passes me. Why is she crying? “Chihiro wait!” 

“Shikamaru.” my mother stops me from running after her, “Give her a little bit to calm down. Then go after her.” 

“But mom, she was crying!” 

“Shikamaru, listen to me. You don’t know the first thing about girls!” she shouts, making me flinch. I nod, leaving the room. 

As soon as I know my mom’s attention is away from me, I exit the house. I needed to make sure she was alright. I see Naruto, looking confused, which wouldn’t be surprising but he’s staring off in the distance. 

“Naruto! Have you seen a girl with short black hair, wearing a red dress recently?” I ask him, shaking him out of his thoughts.  
“Yeah, she just ran past. She was crying but didn’t respond when I asked her what was wrong. Why?” he replies, his eyes filled with concern.

“I need help finding her. Come with me?” I question, itching to continue my search. 

Naruto nods, and we both search through the village for our friend. Once we determine she isn’t in the actual village, we move our attention to the training grounds. Where could she be hiding so well? I motion for Naruto to slow down, taking our time as we search through the trees that surrounded each training ground. I pause, catching Naruto’s attention, when I hear a soft sniffle. He nods, signaling that he heard it as well.

“Chihiro?” I ask softly, taking a few steps toward the sound. Chihiro appears in the shadows, seemingly out of nowhere. She looks up at Naruto and I, her black eyes wide, tear stains on her cheeks. “What’s wrong?” 

 “I haven’t had my own room in almost 7 years.” she mumbles, wiping her face with the back of her hand in an attempt to hide her tears.

“Chihiro, what kind of life did you have?” I ask her, taking a seat on the ground, wrapping an arm around her. Naruto follows my lead and takes a seat on her other side. He takes her hand and squeezes, trying to comfort her.

“It’s a long story, but it wasn’t good. I haven’t known this kind of kindness since I was little.” she explains, vaguely, while relaxing in between Naruto and I. 

We all sit in the shadow the the trees, waiting till Chihiro had calmed down. Naruto’s gaze meets mine once and I shake my head, telling him not to ask further. He nods in response and turns his gaze to Chihiro. He whispers something to her, making a small smile appear on her lips. At least one of us could cheer her up, I didn’t know what to do. 

“Let’s get you home Chihiro. You deserve you own room and don’t let your past tell you otherwise.” he tells her, standing and pulling her up. He offers a hand to me and I take it, allowing him to help me to my feet as well. The three of us walk through the village, making our way to my house. Chihiro’s attention is on the sky, but she has a pinky linked with both of us, letting us know she was thankful.

Chihiro’s P.O.V.

I keep my attention on the darkening sky, currently filled with shades of pink and purple from the setting sun. I have my pinkies linked with both Naruto and Shikamaru’s, thankful for their presences. I couldn’t believe I had friends like them already, after being alone for so long. 

“Shika-san? Naruto-san.” I say and they look at me, “Thank you. For everything.” 

“Of course Chi-chan.” they reply in unison, a lazy smile on Shikamaru’s face and a sunny one on Naruto’s. 

“Ready to go put your things away?” Shikamaru asks, as we stop in front of his house.

“Yeah, I’m ready.” I reply, smiling at the cloud passing over us. “Have a good night Naruto-san, thanks for earlier.” He continues his walk with a wave and I notice his shoulders slouch just slightly. 

Shikamaru tugs on my hand to get my attention and we enter his house. He takes me to my room after we slip out of our shoes. We begin to put my clothes away, but after a few minutes he sprawls out on my bed, leaving me to finish. I smile softly at his laziness, but don’t complain. 

“Chihiro?” he says, causing me to pause in folding a shirt. I look at his relaxed figure, his ponytail down for the time being and his shirt off. Even when he wasn’t in his room, he was still a mess. 

“Yeah Shikamaru?” I reply, curious at what he was going to say.

“I’m glad you came to Konoha.”


	6. Fighting the Jonnin: Part 1

I wake up the next morning to a soft knock on my bedroom door. Slipping out of the warm bed, I pad over to the door and open it to reveal Shikaku. 

“Your escort is here, you have about 15 minutes to get ready. You’ll have to eat on your way.” he explains, taking in my half-awake state. “I’ll come back up in 10 minutes to make sure you didn’t fall asleep.”

“Thanks Nara-sama.” I yawn, rubbing my eyes sleepily. “I’ll be ready soon.” He leaves the door open, and I make my bed quickly to wake myself up. Picking out a light blue fighting kimono to wear, I set bandages, protector gloves, ninja shoes, and head band on my bed so I’d be able to dress quickly after a warm shower. I take a towel from the hall closet and hurry to the bathroom. Shikamaru seemed to be asleep still, soft snores coming from his bedroom. I take a longer shower than I thought I would, relaxing in the warm water and bathing in the new soap that Yoshino had bought me. It smells of citrusy type things, something that you would find on a beach. It was almost intoxicating and I appreciated that she knew me so well in just a day. Shikaku knocks on the bathroom door, announcing that I have 5 minutes to finish up, startling me enough to drop the bottle of soap.

“Alright in there?” he chuckles, earning a scowl that he can’t see. I don’t respond and his laughter fades down the hall. I rinse my body and hair, stepping out of the shower to dry off so I can finish getting ready. I towel dry my hair in the bathroom and brush it out before drying off my body and wrapping the towel around me for privacy. I hurry to my room and dress for the day, making sure to attach my swords to my back. I brush my teeth as Shikaku yells up one more time and I hurry downstairs. Shikaku and my escort don’t take notice of my presence at first, talking about a recent mission. I shake out my half-dry hair and finish tying on my headband before they glance over. 

“Alright, you better get going. I’ll see you tonight, alright Chihiro? Oh, and here’s breakfast.” he smiles, handing me a muffin and leaving the hallway. His footsteps are light on the stairs, and I glance at the man twirling a senbon between his lips. 

“Shiranui Genma kid. Let’s get going.” he states, talking perfectly while keeping the thin needle clasped between his lips. I nod, mesmerized by the ability, and follow him from the house. It was early, the sun just barely rising over the village, leaving it bathed in a soft glow. Genma and I walk side by side in silence, enjoying the crisp feeling in the air while I eat my breakfast. Our breathe comes out in small puffs and I run my fingers through my hair to keep it from stiffening. By the time we arrive at the training grounds, the sun has risen fully and the air is warming up. The Hokage and several other Jonnin are waiting. I begin to slow down, nervous around all these people I didn’t know. Genma takes notice and stops, crouching in front of me. 

“Hey kid, don’t worry about them. No one here is gonna hurt you. The Hokage is just going to have you fight against the Jonnin to see where your abilities are at. But he’s gonna ask them to go all out to force you to use all you’ve got. But he won’t let you be seriously injured.” I nod once again, still nervous though. He ruffles my hair and stands back up. “Now lets go.” He leads me to the Hokage, who has a smile on his face. 

“I’m assuming Genma told you what will be going on today?” he questions, nodding his thanks to Genma for bringing me. 

“Hai, he did.” I mumble, taking in the group gathered around us. Several are watching curiously to see how I behave and I stand up straighter upon noticing this. “Am I fighting them one at a time or all at once?” 

“All at once, but they will separate for you. They also have orders not to do serious harm to you.”

“Okay Hokage-sama. Well, I’m ready.” I reply, trying to give him a smile. He allows me to take my place opposite of the Jonnin and nods once. The Jonnin disperse quickly and I close my eyes to sense for them. Combining the sensory abilities I had naturally and my keke genkai, I’m able to find most of the Jonnin. They were split up, just as the Hokage had said, all of them in different areas. I make my way through the woods toward the closest Jonnin, stopping in the clearing he’s waiting in. 

“Hey there kid. I’m Aoba, and it looks like you’ll be fighting me first.” the man with the glasses smiles, performing quick hand signs. I throw my hands into the ground and a large earth wall flies up to protect me from the flames that come toward me. I unsheathe my sword and block his blow, leaping up and out of his way. I balance on top of the earth wall I had formed and create two clones. They leap toward him, pushing him backward to the trees. Aoba was skilled when it came to a sword, but I’d had lots of practice against my brothers, especially when it came to defense. I could defend against his blows and push him back at the same time. I hadn’t realized how much training I had actually received until this moment. The minute he steps into the shadows, I wrap them up his legs.

“Earth style: Headhunter Technique!” I whisper, and I grin down at Aoba. “Good fight, but I’ve had a lot of practice in defensive swordplay.” He nods, frowning at the ground before disappearing in a poof of smoke. I move onto my next Jonnin, moving around where he is waiting to set a trap first. Pulling out my favorite scroll, I set it up quickly and return to the Jonnin. I smile when he looks up at the place I’m hiding, his glasses flashing. 

“I’m Ebisu, looks like I’ll be your next fight.” he calls, a smirk on his lips. I roll my eyes, not impressed.

“Hey there loser.” I tease, before disappearing toward my trap. I’m on branches, leaping from each branch to the next, keeping my chakra focused so I don’t slip and fall. I’m careful not to use too much because I need some for the trap and for the rest of my fights. He follows through the trees, gaining on me easily. I trip him playfully with the shadows and gain enough head to hurry over my trap and hide until he catches up. As soon as his chakra is sensed by the scroll, 3 mud wolves pop out of the ground and attack him. I snicker quietly at his screams, gathering the shadows. The wolves manage to pin him down and I trap his arms and legs with my shadows, releasing the scroll so I can gather it for reuse after I finish this fight. I pull out a senbon and throw it quickly, allowing it to pierce a pressure point that knocks the Jonnin out. He disappears just like the previous Jonnin and I gather up my things, hiding the shadows so I can check over my injuries. I have a small burn on my arm from Aoba and a few small cuts from his blades. From what I can tell, they were clean with no poison. I pass over the purple haired woman, getting creepy vibes from her and stumble upon Genma. 

“Hey there kid. Who all have you fought so far?” he questions as soon as I land in the clearing. His stance is relaxed but I’m still on the defensive. 

“Just Aoba and Ebisu. I avoided the woman with purple hair. I got some bad vibes from her.” I reply, “You’re the third one.” 

“And you’re still on your feet, I’m surprised. Aoba’s a skilled jonnin.” he smiles, “Impressive. I won’t go easy on you then.”

“I didn’t want you to.” I return his smile deflecting his senbon with a kunai. I avoid the next one, unsheathing one of my katana to meet his small blade. I grunt under the pressure, leaping backward to avoid being cut. He follows immediately and I throw up my hand, using my katana as a shield. His blow throws me backward, and I twist mid air to land on my feet. I dodge several more of his senbon, irritated that I didn’t have a single moment to retaliate. I create two shadow clones and step into the shadows, disappearing in them. I lower my chakra, attempting to keep myself hidden. The two clones attack him and I leap down from the trees in an attempt to attack from above. I let out a yelp when his foot connects with my stomach and I fly back into the trees. I wouldn’t be able to land a blow and it wasn’t worth my time to try. I would see if I could fight any other jonnin first, then come back. I stumble into a clearing with a man who has dark circles under his eyes. He coughs once before introducing himself.

“I’m Hayate. I guess it’s our turn to fight.” I barely see him move toward me and I throw up my arms instinctively. A thick black wall forms in front of me and my eyes widen. I grab my katana and block his next blow from behind. Each swing of his blade pushes me back further and further, the this darkness coming up to protect me when he came to close to hitting me. One of his swipes slices through my side and I gasp, clutching at the now bleeding spot. 

“Stop, stop!” I spit between gritted teeth. My eyes had turned completely black now, I could tell. I sink to the ground, hand in my hair, trying to get my Keke Genkai under control. Hayate takes a few steps forward, concern lacing his features. “Get away from me!” I urge him, “I don’t want to hurt you.” He takes another step toward me and I look up at him, furious.


	7. And Now You're a Chunnin!

Hayate’s P.OV.

The cold look Chihiro gives me is terrifying. Her eyes are completely black, no white showing at all. There’s a dark aurora surrounding her. 

“Get. Away.” she hisses, raising her hands as she stumbles to her feet to get away. A large blast of darkness forms in her hand and flies toward me. I leap out of the way and she looks down at her hand, terrified, before turning and running, disappearing into the woods. I don’t chase after her, instead going to find the Hokage. I find him with Aoba, Ebisu, and Genma, all of the talking quietly. 

“She ran off from me. Something happened during our fight. I-I can’t explain it.” I state before a hacking cough takes over. “Her eyes were completely black and she couldn’t control it. There was this dark aurora surrounding her. She told me to stay away. She didn’t want to hurt me.” The Hokage contemplates my words, before pulling his pipe from his mouth. 

“Hayate, Genma. Come with me. We’re going to find her. The rest of you are dismissed, please let the other Jonnin know.” he states, “Show me where you were.” I lead the way to the clearing that Chihiro had last been seen in. There’s still drops of blood on the ground, forming a path to the trees. The Hokage follows the blood, watching carefully for any signs of movement. The forest around us seems to be getting darker and more ominous with each footstep. We find Chihiro sitting, with her back against a tree, holding her side. She glances over at us, but doesn’t move from her spot. “Are you alright Chihiro?” the Hokage questions her, keeping his distance. 

“I’ve been better.” she jokes, laughing weakly before wincing. When she pulls her hand away from her side, we can see the extent of her wound. It’s pouring blood that doesn’t look like it’s going to stop any time soon. 

“What did you do Hayate?” Genma asks, incredulous that she’s hurt this bad. 

“I may have forgotten to clean the poison off my blades...” I reply, coughing again, “It doesn’t let the blood congeal so that it can scab. She just needs to go to the hospital and get it cleaned up. They’ll be able to stop the bleeding.” Genma rolls his eyes, muttering under his breathe. I take a few steps toward Chihiro, watching to make sure nothing comes at me. She just watches me as I approach, not moving. Her eyes are scarily dark against her paling skin. I pull out a small vial and kneel down next to her, “Here, drink this. It’s the antidote to the poison on my blades.” She nods once, and I unscrew it before handing the bottle to her. She drinks it quickly, her eyes not leaving mine. “Do you want me to carry you to the hospital?” I ask, and she nods again. I scoop up her tiny body into my arms and turn to the Hokage and Genma. They nod once and we disappear to the hospital. 

Shikaku’s P.O.V.

I’m talking to Iruka about a mission that I was being assigned when Genma enters the room. 

“Shikaku, we just wanted to inform you that Chihiro’s going to be in the hospital overnight.” he says cheerfully. 

“What? Why?” I question, nervous that she’d gotten seriously hurt. “Hayate’s poison on his blades. She lost a lot of blood but she’s alright. They just want her to rest so they can make sure her blood levels are recovering properly. The Hokage said he’s going to rank her at Chunnin because she took out Ebisu and Aoba. He said if she wanted to take the Jonnin exam, she could, but he wasn’t going to rank her at that level without a proper exam instead of just his assessment.” he reassures me, a smile on his face, “She’s a smart kid.” 

I breathe a sigh of relief and take the scroll from Iruka, “I’ll stop in and check on her before I leave. Thanks Genma.” I say before leaving the room. I would have to tell Yoshino and Shikamaru before I saw Chihiro, that way they could see her as well. 

Genma’s P.O.V.

Hayate and I walk through the hospital, her vest slung over one of my arms and flowers in my hand. Hayate is carrying a bag of dumplings and flowers as well. I open the door to her room, giving a wave when she turns to see who’s here. 

“Hey Chihiro-chan.” I greet her, “Guess what rank you are?” She eyes the vest on my arm before answering, “At least a Chunnin if you’re brining me a vest right?” 

“Who knows, this could be my spare.” I tease, handing her the heavy flak vest. Chihiro is quiet, fingering the vest that rests on her lap. When she finally looks up, there are tears in her eyes. 

“Are you alright Chihiro?” Hayate questions, his voice soft as he moves closer to her. When she doesn’t answer, he takes a seat on the edge of the hospital bed and take her hand. 

“I haven’t lost control like that since I left my family. I didn’t want to hurt you Hayate. It scared me.” she sniffles, the tears spilling over. Her cheeks are wet, and she rubs them with her free hand. 

“It’s alright. You didn’t hurt me. And you won’t hurt me again because Genma and I are going to work with you. We also came to tell you that we’re your new team.” he explains, squeezing her hand gently. 

“Really?” she exclaims, her mood changing dramatically, looking between the two of us, “Will you guys please show me all those things that you used against me today?” I laugh, taking a seat in the chair next to the bed. 

“Of course, we are your teammates.” I answer her question, giving her a bright smile before spitting the senbon at the ceiling. 

“Are you sure you should do that?” Chihiro teases me, flicking my arm. 

“Maaa, that hurt. And I’m not supposed to but like I follow the rules.” “I really wonder how he became a Jonnin sometimes.” Hayate teases, rolling his eyes in my direction. I stick out my tongue in return and prop my feet up on Chihiro’s bed. 

Chihiro’s P.O.V.

After Genma and Hayate leave, I’m left to my own devices. I couldn’t move around too much because the injury was still tender and I didn’t have anything to read, meaning all I could really do was lay around. I’m laying with my legs on the wall and my back on the bed when the door opens once more. 

“Well you look like you’re having fun. How troublesome.” Shikamaru’s head appears over mine, a lazy smile on his face, “You doing alright?” 

I scrunch my nose at him before replying, “Dying of boredom actually but I’m alright injury-wise. They just want it to heal a little more and make sure my blood levels are stable before releasing me.” 

I hear him moving around on the bed before my vest is dropped on me, “I see you made Chunnin.” I move it too my stomach with a scowl. 

“Jealous?” I tease him, scooting over for him to lay next to me. He does the same thing with his legs, nudging me playfully. 

“Never. Too much work. Too troublesome for me.” he yawns, “But congratulations.” I giggle at his words, poking him in his side. He squirms before poking me back. I squeal and wiggle away from him, feeling my world start to tilt slightly, only to have him grab my arm so I don’t roll off the bed. 

“Are you sure you should be a Chunnin?” he smirks, pulling me back onto the bed and letting go of my arm. 

“Of course.” I pout, “If you’re gonna be mean, then you can get off my bed.” He just sighs sleepily, allowing me to roll onto my side and poke his cheek. He swats my hand away and yawns. 

“Let’s just sleep.” he mumbles, “Move so we can share the pillow.” Once we get situated, I fall asleep quickly with Shikamaru’s back to mine.


	8. Your First Mission!: Déjà Vu

“Alright, I’m sending you three on your first mission since Chihiro became a Chunnin. You’ve been training for a few weeks now, and I hope your teamwork is where it should be.” Hiruzen states, holding a scroll in front of him. 

I nudge Hayate, then Genma, giggling playfully. 

“Your mission will be to escort a trader to Takumi Village. They are an important trade partner to Konohagakure, as they provide all our weapons. I would like you to get this man to the village, alive. Genma, you will be the leader of this mission with Hayate as a second in command. So don’t screw this up. Good luck you three. Go pack and come back here to meet the person you will be escorting.” We nod and disappear from the room in clouds of smoke. 

I reappear in my bedroom and pull out my backpack. I neatly pack two changes of the standard chunnin outfit, bandages, a small bag of medical supplies, dried fruit and jerky, ration bars. Extra weapons go into the small pouches and I make sure my vest has all the weapons and scrolls I would need as well. I fix my headband and place the special kunai that Shikaku had given me around my waist, along with my two katanas. 

“Shikamaru?” I call, looking for my friend as I pull my backpack onto my back. 

“He’s at Training Ground 10 if you want to go find him there! Good luck on your mission!” Yoshino yells back from the main floor. 

“Thanks! I’ll be back in two weeks hopefully!” I disappear again and reappear in front of the path that leads to the training grounds. 

I head down the path marked with a 10, looking for Shikamaru’s chakra signature. It’s spiked, meaning he was probably training. I follow it quickly, picking up my pace so I can get back to the Hokage. I find his team in the middle of sparing, so I wait until he finishes. Their sensei, Asuma, is the first one to spot me. 

“Shikamaru, take a break.” he orders, nodding toward me. Shikamaru ambles over, his pace slow and steady. 

“Where you going Chihiro?” he questions, tugging on the strap of my backpack. “Escort mission with Genma and Hayate. We should be back in about 2 weeks, I just wanted to say bye before we left.” I explains, take his hand in mine and glancing down at the cut across his palm. 

I run my thumb over the wound, applying a small amount of medical chakra to heal it. 

“Hmmm, you have to stop doing that stuff.” he complains, playing with my fingers that still rest on his hand, “You won’t always be around to heal me, even if you just want practice. Anyways, you should get going.” He gives me a strong hug, pulling me against him, “Stay safe Chihiro.” he whispers before letting me go. 

I nod and wave to his team before disappearing back to the Hokage’s office. 

Hayate’s already there but Genma is late, which is pretty typical. When he finally arrives though, the Hokage calls our trader in. The man is older, with graying hair and beard, but he stands tall and is well built. But when I look into his eyes, they are a cold gray. No warmth at all. His eyes were a reminder of my father. I look away quickly, moving closer to Hayate. The man glances at me, an evil smirk spreading across his lips. Everyone else misses this, but I would know that look anywhere. I could just feel that something was going to go wrong on this mission. I dig my nails into Hayate’s arm and he glances down at me, slightly pained. 

“You okay?” his eyes question silently. 

I shake my head slightly and he nods once, letting me know we’d talk about it later. We’re dismissed a few minutes later and I follow Hayate closely, slowing him down so we can talk. 

“What’s wrong?” he questions, glancing at Genma and our trader, whose name is Ashi. The two don’t notice anything and I narrow my eyes at Ashi’s retreating back.

“Something bad is going to happen on this mission. I don’t like him. He’s just like…. Never mind. But trust me. I can feel it.” I whisper hurriedly, my throat tightening because I was nervous. 

“He’s just like who?” Hayate looks genuinely confused and worried, not sure what to think. 

“I can’t tell you. Just trust me.” I plead, crossing my arms and bowing my head. 

“Okay, I’ll keep an eye out. Let’s catch up before Genma thinks something is up.” he shrugs, gesturing for me to follow him. 

We hurry through the hallways, catching up to Genma and Ashi. Ashi fixes me with his cold stare again and I flinch away, just enough for him to notice. That smirk appears again and he turns away. 

Hayate’s P.O.V.

Chihiro’s nervousness is worrying me, but I didn’t want to tell Genma about it. He was protective of our younger teammate and if she was worried about Ashi, Genma would destroy the man rather than finish the mission correctly. She’s hunched into herself, her arms crossed and her head bowed. Ashi didn’t seem to be doing anything but he did have a cold attitude, that’s all I could tell. We’ve been traveling for most of the day now, and we were only a few minutes from the village. 

“You okay?” I question Chihiro softly and she shrugs, biting her already bruised lip. 

This was concerning because she usually talked about most of her problems. Not in detail but if something was bothering her, she would tell him at least. Genma is still in the lead, with Ashi behind him. Ashi greets the guards at the gate, allowing the three of us to enter with him, but we still receive suspicious looks from the men. Chihiro moves a few steps away from me, her hands digging into her arms. That was one of her signs that she was loosing control. 

“Genma, I’m gonna take Chihiro back into the woods. We’ll be back in a little bit.” I call to Genma who turns around and nods, understanding what was going on. 

He distracts Ashi, who turns to see where Chihiro and I are going. There’s a look in his eyes, and Chihiro flinches and turns around quickly. I follow her back through the gates and we leap through the trees surrounding the village. Chihiro’s abilities these past few months have improved greatly from when she first started out as a Chunnin. She was much faster and with her small stature, very nimble. She could avoid almost any blow, and what she couldn’t, that mysterious ability would protect her. Her aim and kenjutsu were also getting better. She had amazing accuracy, taking on learning about many different weapons, including Genma’s infamous senbon. About a week into training with Gen and I, she had asked us to prepare her for the Jonnin exams. I was still in awe at her talent. If she wanted she could be ready for the ANBU in just a year with the right training. I follow Chihiro as she distances herself from the village, noticing the changes around us. The area is darkening and the shadows are moving around us. It’s deja vu, just like when she had been taking the test for the Hokage. When she finally stops, I’m sure to stand a good distance away so she won’t hurt me accidentally. Chihiro just stands for a few minutes, watching me watch her, before she begins to cry. I immediately come over to her, wrapping my arms around her collapsing body so she doesn’t fall. The sobs that wrack her body worry me. How could Ashi make her this nervous and upset. 

“Chihiro, I need you to tell me what’s wrong.” I order her gently, pulling her bag from her back and setting it away from us. She shakes her head quickly, still crying. “Chihiro please.” 

She’s quiet for awhile, crying softly into my shoulder before she finally stops. When she pulls away, her eyes red and puffy, her lips and face pale, she looks broken. The area around us has stopped darkening and the sun is casting shadows in the clearing. “I killed them Hayate.” she whispers, wrapping her arms around herself and pulling away. 

“Killed who?” I reply, starting to worry as I cough furiously. 

She waits until I calm down and her soft words barely meet my ears, “My family.” 

“Why?” I question, nervous now. 

“The same reason that Ashi is scaring me. My father and my siblings used to beat me. I was a slave. And one day, I couldn’t take it anymore and I just… Snapped. I didn’t mean to, it was more my Keke Genkai that killed them than anything. The whole darkness thing that I do… It’s not a gift. People in my family aren’t supposed to have it. We’re supposed to control light. That’s why we’re the Ranpu Clan. Anyone who is different… is made a servant or a slave to their family. I lived with it for 5 years… and I finally broke… And killed them.” she explains, her words cutting through the thick silence.


	9. Your First Mission! Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating for a while! I apologize for the lack of activity.
> 
> ~I don't own Naruto~

Hayate’s P.O.V.

Chihiro and I return to the village, finding Genma at the gates, waiting for us to return. 

“You alright Chihiro?” he asks cheerfully, not noticing the tension between Chihiro and I. 

Chihiro nods, keeping her eyes on the ground. I was still processing what she had told me earlier, but my silence hadn’t gone over well with her. She had turned and walked away, leaving me alone in the clearing. 

“Alright, well we’re going to stay overnight at Ashi’s house and leaving in the morning.” he informs us, and Chihiro’s posture becomes rigid. 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea Genma.” I warn him lowly, and he shrugs. 

“It won’t be bad. It’s just one night.” 

“It’s fine Hayate.” Chihiro mumbles, “Let’s just go.” 

Genma takes the lead and I take the rear, with Chihiro between the two of us. 

Chihiro’s P.O.V.

Ashi’s house is dark and ominous, increasing my nerves even more. I was upset with Hayate as well. We’re shown to our rooms, separate and far apart. I’m placed near his daughter’s rooms and Genma and Hayate are given a room near his son’s rooms. I glance back at my teammate’s once, and meet Hayate’s worried gaze. He lowers his eyes and turns away. I enter my room silently and shut the door behind me, dropping my bag and all but collapsing on the bed. I curl up into a ball, remembering to kick my shoes off before falling into a deep and fitful sleep.

“You hungry Chihiro?” Genma questions from the door, jerking me out of my nightmare. 

“Wha-?” I hiss, trying to figure out where I was. 

Nothing was familiar right now. I throw the blankets away from me and whip my head around the room. 

“Hey, calm down. We’re still at Ashi’s house. I was just wondering if you wanted something to eat.” Genma tries to reassure me, coming into the room. 

I flinch as he reaches out to comfort me and a look of hurt flashes across his face. 

“Are you alright?” he questions softly, and I hold my head in my hands at the sorrow in his voice. 

“I’m not alright. But please, just go. I’m not hungry.” I choke out, “I don’t want to loose control.” 

“We’re here for you. Remember that.” is all he says before leaving the room. 

I wrap my arms around my legs and begin to cry. The sobs wrack my body for hours, and I can’t make myself move from the bed. When I get up, it’s fairly late at night and I’m dehydrated from all the crying. I make my way to the kitchen quietly, not wanting to disturb Ashi or his family. 

I’m finishing off my second glass of water when I hear it. It’s such a familiar sound that I couldn’t mistake it for anything else. The strangled cry that follows only confirms my suspicions. The glass slips from my fingertips, shattering against the cold tile floor. I slide to the ground, ignoring the sharp pain as the glass cuts my skin, holding my head in my hands as I tried to control the darkness. I can hear the stomping of feet and I wince, trying to get away from the person. 

“What the hell!?” Ashi roars, “Why is this broken?” 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” I whimper, “Please don’t.” I yelp as I’m forced to my feet, a rough tug on my hair brings my eyes up to meet his cold gray ones. 

He throws me backward, causing my head to snap back and hit the counter. I fall to the floor, holding the aching spot. 

“What the fuck?! Chihiro oh my god!” Genma shouts, running into the room. 

The darkness is wrapping around me protectively as it makes its way across the kitchen to Ashi. I couldn’t control anything, not with the pounding in my head or the warm blood that leaks slowly onto my hand. I can hear Genma shouting for Hayate, but their voices are muffled. Everything around me is darkening and I can’t seem to make sense of what’s happening. Instead, I close my eyes, willing everything to go away as I fall into oblivion.


End file.
